Blue Bloods recently aired its well-received series finale, marking the end of its 14-season run. The show, a mainstay on CBS Friday nights, owes much of its success to its talented cast, including Tom Selleck, who played Frank Reagan for over a decade. Reflecting on the experience, Selleck opened up about the challenges and “danger” of playing the same character for so many yearsโand how he managed to avoid those pitfalls.
For Selleck, saying goodbye to Blue Bloods was understandably difficult, but it wasn’t his first time wrapping up a long-running role. He previously starred in the original Magnum P.I. in the ’80s, which ran for eight seasons. However, Blue Bloods ended up being his longest-running role, a feat he’s proud of. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Selleck discussed the risk of growing complacent after so many years in a single role:
โAll the work you do goes into a little something inside and broadens, hopefully, your perspective and your talent as an actor. I’ve always believed that the commitment an actor makes should appear to be, โHere goes nothing!โ Make it look like, โHere goes nothing.โ But it’s really โHere goes everything.โ I would’ve thought that if I did a show for 15 years, the danger would be to get comfortable. โOkay, what are the jokes? I know this guy.โ”
It’s common for actors to feel stuck when playing the same character for long stretches, especially when they’re repeating similar scenes and dialogue. The temptation to get too comfortable can lead to boredom, but Selleck never experienced that on Blue Bloods. He credits the writers with ensuring the characters evolved over time, keeping things fresh for him:
“I continued to learn about Frank Reagan and watch him evolve as a character for 15 years. I was never bored. I’m proud to say nobody in this cast ever phoned a performance in, and that was the real danger. And frankly, it’s surprising if I would’ve started a show and I said, โ15 years, I’m going to get bored.โ It never happens. I’m grateful to say, and the writers continued to see the evolution in the characters and let them grow and change.”
As Selleck, now 79, reflected on his time with Blue Bloods, he acknowledged how the show and his character grew alongside him. “15 years is a long time, and you change physically, you change every other way. You’re just older. At a certain point, all those things entered into what I’ll put in my little actor’s handbook and use, because I certainly don’t intend to stop working.”
The long run of a show offers the unique opportunity to see characters evolve naturally, and Blue Bloods successfully allowed that evolution over its many years. Fans, too, enjoyed watching the characters mature, with writers and producers carefully layering depth onto them.
However, Selleck has been vocal about his frustration with CBSโs decision to end the show. While Blue Bloods found success through its family dinners, action, and compelling storylines, Selleck still doesn’t understand why CBS chose to cancel the series. He recently shared his thoughts, expressing that he believes the show ended at its peak:
“My biggest goal is to make sure people realize we went out in rather spectacular success. It wasn’t tired, it wasn’t anything else. Somebody may be able to tell me someday why CBS wanted to end it, but I haven’t had a good answer yet.”
Although there have been rumors about a possible Blue Bloods spinoff, nothing has been confirmed. Despite the challenge of matching the original showโs success, a spinoff could be an exciting prospect. If one does come to fruition, it’s likely that Tom Selleck would be open to itโas long as his character doesnโt risk becoming stale or predictable. In the meantime, fans can stream Blue Bloods on Paramount+.
